Jake Gaither, America's Most Famous Black Coach

Book excerpt: Alonzo S. (Jake) Gaither, former head football coach and athletic director of Florida A&M, was named to the Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1975, the first coach of a predominantly black college to be so honored. It was deserved recognition of an incredible career. "I like my boys ag-ile, mo-bile, and hos-tile," Gaither was fond of saying, and apparently they were. In twenty-five years of coaching at Florida A&M, Gaither won 85 percent of his games and never had a losing season. When he retired in 1973, his record of 203-36-4 was better than that of any active coach in the country. Over the years his teams won six national black collegiate championships and every conference title except three - twenty-two out of twenty-five. He also produced at least one All-America player every years except one, and through the years sent over twenty-five of his players to the pros. Gaither was selected small college Coach of the Year three times - by the Associated Press in 1961, by the American Football Coaches Association in 1962, and by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in 1969. In addition he was awarded two of the highest honors given for coaching, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award and the Walter Camp Award. Here, in an absorbing biography of the man who became a football legend, is the story of how he did it. --From the book jacket.